© John Henebry

Whistler, B.C. is one of Golf Odyssey's "Platinum Places '07 / '08," the world's best golf vacation destinations.

It's that time of year. Time for making lists...and I don't mean the holiday shopping kind.

It seems everyone who writes about golf has been busy making a list of the "best golf courses" or the "best golf resorts." While they're fun to read, we think the one in Golf Odyssey's December 2007 issue is much more useful from a golf vacation planning standpoint.

Here's why. After crisscrossing the globe to come up with their list of 72 "Platinum Places," the editors of Golf Odyssey divided it into 18 sub-categories, making it more relevant and useful to families, women, escapists, golf-aholics, food-lovers, value-seekers, and others who have specific golf vacation preferences and interests.

For example, as a golf nut and a powder hound, one category that's particularly exciting to me is, The Best Places for Same-Day Golf and Skiing. The winners are:

• Evian Royal Resort in France
• Sunriver Resort in Oregon
• Vancouver Island in British Columbia
• Whistler Resort in British Columbia

Other categories that might interest you include:

• The Best U.S. Bangs for the Buck (other than Myrtle Beach)
• The Best Courses You May Have All to Yourself
• The Best (Non-Resort) Private Courses that You Can Play
• The Best Golf Resorts for Families
• The Best U.S. Resorts for Women
• The Best Golf Resorts for Non-Golf Activities
• The Best Hidden Gems of the British Isles
• The Most Anticipated Golf Course Openings

While it's normally only available to Golf Odyssey's paid subscribers, you can get a free copy of this coveted year-end issue mailed to you just by signing up for a free trial to Golf Odyssey. It's a two-issue trial so you'll get the January issue, too. If you don't like them, you can easily cancel via email.

Golf Odyssey's December 2007 issue also includes the publication's trademark Best and Worst Awards. Always provocative (and sometimes scathing), categories from this year's travels include: The Most Overrated Course in Mexico; The Worst Resort Dining; The Worst Course Management; The Best Trend in Myrtle Beach; Accommodations of the Year; and The Best Golf at the Ends of the Earth. The same-old, same-old list this is not.

Did you know?Golf Vacation Insider and Golf Odyssey are the world's only golf publications that travel anonymously and do not accept advertising, discounts, or "freebies" from the golf courses, resorts or restaurants they review.

Not already a subscriber to Golf Vacation Insider? Click here to receive our free newsletter filled with insider travel tips on the world's finest golf courses and resorts. As a bonus, we will send you a free copy of Planning the Ultimate Golf Vacation, a 40-page book filled with insider tips from the editors of Golf Odyssey.